Cat Deeley believes Ant McPartlin did the best thing he could have done by going public with his drug addiction and asking for professional help.

The 40-year-old presenter said Ant's struggle with booze and prescription pills was a "silly choice" but said he wasn't to blame.

"He is doing the right thing. If you need some help, get some help," she told the Mail On Sunday.

"Everybody has issues. He's made the decision to do something about it, which should be applauded. Everybody makes mistakes. Everybody makes some silly choices at some time in their life. We all do it."

Cat worked with Ant and Dec on their children's show SMTV: Live (Image: Rex Features)

Ant has spent two months in rehab to beat his drink and drug demons (Image: Splash News)

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She went on: "I think he’s going to just get better and everyone's going to love him even more for it. They'll love him as much as I do."

Cat, who worked with Ant and his comedy partner Declan Donnelly back in the 1990s on children's Saturday TV programme SMTV: Live, said he'd even kept it a secret from her when she saw him back in the spring.

"I didn't know anything," she confirmed.

"The last time I saw them was in Florida when we did the Missing Crown Jewels [a spoof segment for Saturday Night Takeaway] thing in Florida in April. Ant seemed absolutely fine."

Ant sobbed as he confessed his addictions to Dec and wife Lisa (Image: Getty)

But Ant was battling with a worsening dependence on alcohol and strong painkillers as a result of horrific knee pain stemming from a botched operation two years previously.

In June this year, the presenter finally opened up to Dec and his wife Lisa Armstrong, and sought professional help in a rehabilitation clinic.

Ant, 41, sobbed as he told his nearest and dearest about his substance abuse problems, admitting that he felt he'd let them down.

"I feel like I have let a lot of people down and for that I am truly sorry," he said at the time.

Cat believes the public will love Ant even more now he's come clean about his problems (Image: Getty Images North America)

Ant and Dec are both expected to return to host I'm A Celeb 2017 (Image: Rex Features)

"I want to thank my wife, family and closest friends for helping me through this really difficult time.

"I've spoken out because I think it's important that people ask for help if they're going through a rough time and get the proper treatment to help their recovery."

Since then, the star has been weaning himself off the drugs and booze in rehab, taking time out from the public eye so he can concentrate on getting better.

Just last week he was spotted walking his dog Hurley near the home he shares with wife Lisa, having begged rehab staff to let the black Labrador come in to visit him.

It's expected that Ant will continue to recover for a few more weeks before he makes his return to the spotlight with the upcoming series of I'm A Celebrity in November.